The Meeting (story #8)
by Leyla but you can call me spa
Summary: A frustrated fic writer tries to figure out where to go from here.


The Meeting 

by Leyla Harrison

sparkle72@videotron.ca

Disclaimer: I don't claim to own John Carter, Kerry Weaver, or anyone else from ER. Which is sad. On the other hand, I do own myself, or at least I think I do. And I own my editor Shannon -- well, kinda, anyhow.

Rating: strong PG-13 for a little bad language

Timeline: There is no timeline for this story. It is based very loosely around the series of Weaver/Carter stories I have been writing. It would likely help if you have read the seven stories, because this story refers to them both directly and indirectly.

All seven stories are located on my fic webpage:

http://www.geocities.com/sparkle_weaver

Summary: A frustrated fic writer tries to figure out where to go from here.

Note: This is humor, folks. Or it's supposed to be. I've been a little stuck with the new story and so I started just writing some ideas down, and things got a little silly. Hope you have as much fun with this as I did.

I'm flying without a net this time! My editor, Shannon, is off having the time of her life at a concert. This will teach her to leave me unattended.

***

Scene: A conference room. There is a long wooden table set up with chairs on both sides. A slide projector sits, dusty and unused, on one end. At the other end is a dry-erase board and markers for the purpose of drawing diagrams.

Cast of Characters: 

Leyla, a fic writer who has joined the ER fic world already in progress and contributed a series of John Carter/Kerry Weaver stories which were supposed to be just friendship stories, but got dragged into the world of smut and angst and now refuses to leave.

Shannon, her ever trusty editor and best friend, who happens to live hundreds of miles away.

John Carter, resident at Cook County General Hospital, he of the lovely expressive eyes and the recent victim of a near-fatal stabbing, and even more recently, the Man with the Addiction.

Kerry Weaver, emergency attending physician and Chief of Emergency Services at Cook County General Hospital, she of the red hair and she who Walks with a Crutch.

As the scene opens, the cast of characters all enter the room and take their seats. Leyla, the writer, has been elected the moderator of the meeting, seeing as how she is the one with the problem. Carter and Shannon sit on one side of the table and Kerry and Leyla take the other side.

****

Leyla: All right, let's get started. We're here today because I've been trying to write these stories, these --

Kerry: (all businesslike) I know. I've seen them. 

Leyla: There's no need to cut me off. There might be a few people here who haven't read them yet.

(Kerry shrugs her shoulders.)

Leyla: So the problem is, I'm at an impasse. I have a few ideas as to where to go next with the next story, but I'm a little stuck.

Shannon: Well, the ideas you ran by me sound good. What's the problem? Do you need a song for the new story? Why don't you use one from the soundtrack I graciously made for you?

Carter: I heard that soundtrack, actually. I like the songs a lot. But why did you put "Sex Bomb" by Tom Jones on there?

Shannon: (batting her eyes at Carter) See, the tape has two sides: side A, for Angst, and Side B, for booty.

Kerry: Booty? (sighs) That's not exactly what I would call it.

Shannon: I made the tape. I'm calling it Booty.

Carter: We could call it lovemaking.

Kerry: Carter, we are NOT talking about it here. Not in front of all these people.

Shannon: (raising her voice) Hey, I wasn't finished talking. Side A has all the angsty songs on it, and side B has the songs for, well, booty. I added "Sex Bomb" at the end of the B side because the tape was getting pretty serious, pretty, um, sexual, and I figured it wouldn't hurt to have a fun sex song on there.

Kerry: There's nothing fun about what's been going on lately.

Leyla: All right, people, please. This is not getting us anywhere.

Shannon: (to Carter) You really liked the tape?

Carter: Very much.

Shannon: You know, if you ever get tired of Kerry -- 

(Kerry looks devastated at the thought that someone else is interested in Carter but says nothing.)

Leyla: SHANNON!

Shannon: Sorry.

Leyla: I can't have you lusting after my main character when he's already with someone else.

Shannon: I said, I'm sorry.

Leyla: So, when we last heard from you two (indicating Carter and Kerry), there was trouble in paradise. Kerry, you were upset because there were narcotics missing in the ER, and because of the -- 

Kerry: Please. I don't want to talk about it.

Leyla: I know, but if I'm going to write the next story, we have to get this sorted out.

(Leyla stands up and picks up a marker, and starts to draw a diagram.)

Leyla: Now, this is what happened. Kerry, you went to see Carter in Atlanta in the first story. (Draws the letter K and the letter C next to each other.) Everything was fine with that, right?

Carter: I don't know how it happened, but while she was there -- 

Leyla: I know, I know. You fell in love.

(Everyone glances at Kerry, who is looking miserable.)

Carter: I know you feel the same way, Kerry. Why can't you just admit it?

Leyla: We've been down this road already, Carter, and I'm surprised you can't figure it out. I've practically been using a baseball bat for the readers, Jeez. She can't admit it because she's closed off emotionally. You're the first person in years to reach down into her emotional self. She's not used to these kinds of feelings and doesn't know what to do with them.

Shannon: Even I knew that, Carter.

(Carter glances at Kerry, and she nods.)

Kerry: It's true. I've never opened up to anyone before like I have with you. 

(Carter gets up and crosses the room, sits down next to Weaver, and touches her hand.)

Carter: I'm so sorry. I'm a little dense, you know? With everything that's been going on lately -- rehab, and then coming back to work, and now the whole thing with the pills --

Leyla: Whoa, slow down. We're not there yet.

(Leyla draws on the board again with her marker.)

Leyla: So we've got one missing Vicodin from Kerry's house, and a bottle of ten missing Darvocet from the ER. Carter? What do you think? Did you do it? Did you take the pills?

(Kerry pulls her hand away from Carter, Carter looks at Kerry.)

Carter: You think I took Vicodin from your house?

Kerry: One of the pills is missing. And when I found the pills in your pocket that morning -- I didn't know what to think. And now there are narcotics missing from the ER. I don't -- I don't know what to think. (she looks near tears) I can't do this.

(Kerry looks up at Leyla.)

Kerry: Can't you make me a little happier? For seven stories now I've been miserable, conflicted, and teary eyed. I mean, granted, you haven't said that I "crutch" around the room or down the hall, but still…

Leyla: (nodding) I know. And I'm sorry about that. But in order for a story to be angsty, the main characters usually have to have some angst.

Shannon: I've read Leyla's other writing -- trust me; she's done so much worse to other characters she's written about. You're getting off easy.

Leyla: Ahem. Back to the issue of the pills…

Carter: I didn't take any pills. (Turning to Kerry.) I swear. I wish you had just come and talked to me right away. I would have told you the truth. I didn't take the Vicodin. I didn't take the Darvocet.

(Shannon clears her throat and Carter looks at her.)

Carter: What?

Shannon: You think Leyla's going to let you off that easy? I mean, so here's the plan, right? She writes the next story and you tell Kerry that you didn't take the Vicodin or the Darvocet, and she falls into your arms and you live happily ever after? (snorts) Leyla has never ONCE written a story where anyone lives happily ever after. It's not in her genetic makeup.

(Carter glances at Leyla for confirmation of this and Leyla shrugs, then nods.)

Leyla: I like angst writing the best. What can I say?

Carter: But I DIDN'T take those pills!!

Leyla: Settle down, John. I'm getting a few ideas.

(Leyla whips out a notepad and scribbles some notes down.)

Kerry: What are you writing? Let me see that. (She attempts to grab the notepad but Leyla is fast and grabs in away from her.)

Leyla: Oh, I don't THINK so. 

Kerry: I just want to see what you're writing.

Leyla: I'll bet you do.

Kerry: I just like to be in control of everything. You know that.

Shannon: Hey Leyla, I think what you should do in the next story is to have Kerry have a total breakdown. And then Carter comes over to comfort her and they do the nasty.

Leyla: That's your solution every time I have writer's block.

Shannon: Can I help it if I want you to have Naked Carter in every story?

Leyla: Clothed Carter is fine too, you know. Not that I have anything against him being naked, but I saw the Got Milk ad he did, and I'll tell you (looking at Carter), he looks GOOD.

Shannon: You and your crappy scanner. You sent me a copy and it came out all distorted.

Carter: I had a beard in that ad. I think it looks great.

Kerry: As long as it's not the same beard you had at the beginning of the fifth season. You looked like a grizzly bear.

Carter: No, it's much less furry in the ad.

Leyla: It looks good. Very good. I like it. Maybe I can write in a little stubble into the next story.

Shannon: Stubble and sex?

Leyla: I don't know. Kerry, what do you think? Considering how you feel right now, would you consider having sex with Carter in the next story?

Kerry: (hesitant) I don't know -- I don't know how I can. I mean, so much is going wrong right now, especially with how you left the last story.

Leyla: Yeah, but you still want him, right?

(Silence falls over the room as everyone waits for Kerry's answer.)

Kerry: (very quietly) Yes.

Carter: I didn't hear you.

Kerry: (louder) I said yes, damn it. Yes. I still want you. I want you all the time. I can't help it. 

(Carter looks triumphant.)

Leyla: Well, I already knew that.

Shannon: I have to say, I did too. Hm. Let's see, which song from the soundtrack tape would work well for this story?

Leyla: Oh, I already know -- but it's on the A for Angst side. 

Shannon: If there's going to be sex, the song needs to be from the B for Booty side.

Leyla: I know, I know, but this has to be an exception. Track 3 from the A side -- what do you think?

Shannon: (consulting a copy of the liner notes that she has pulled from her pocket) Oh! Yes, yes, definitely.

Kerry: Let me see that.

Shannon: Hell no!

Leyla: People! Come on! I'm trying to write a story here!

Shannon: Here's my input: Angst. Then sex. Angsty sex.

Leyla: Do you think about anything but sex?

Shannon: (indicating Kerry and Carter) With these two? Never. 

(Kerry groans and buries her head in her hands.)

Shannon: Wait, wait. I forgot something. You should bring back some more about the events of the season finale. There are drug addiction issues you can work with. That will bring in the angst part. 

Leyla: And I have to deal with the fact that Kerry doesn't trust you right now, Carter. 

Carter: But she loves me. I know it.

Kerry: (starting to cry) I can't deal with this. I need to be alone.

Leyla: Not yet. We're almost done here. I'm getting some more ideas. (scribbles on her notepad) Kerry. You have to hold it together. You're a strong woman, remember?

Kerry: I know. But I don't feel strong lately. I feel like everything I know, everything I feel -- it's all turned upside down.

Leyla: I like that. I think I'm going to use that in the story.

Shannon: (nodding) It's good.

(Leyla writes it down.)

Carter: (to Shannon) So what other songs are on the soundtrack tape?

Shannon: You think that just because I like you that I'm going to tell you that?

Carter: No, I just -- 

Shannon: Only Leyla and I know what songs are on the tape. Just us.

Leyla: (to Carter) Well, I made her put the stabbing song on there.

Shannon: Against my will. It doesn't belong on a tape like that.

Leyla: I'm telling you, the stabbing was what brought all of this on. It's one of the core issues of the story. 

Carter: What's the name of that stabbing song, anyhow?

Leyla: (grinning evilly) Why don't you go ask someone on alt.tv.er?

Carter: (nodding) I'll do that, as soon as we get out of this meeting.

Kerry: Are we done here?

(Leyla checks over her notes.) 

Leyla: I think so. Kerry, I think you should go home and get some rest. I'm going to put you through some rough things in the next story.

Shannon: (aside, to Kerry) But I think in the end it will be worth it. She's gonna write some sex at the end there. Comfort sex, you know. That's what she writes best.

Leyla: SHANNON! Stop giving away all my secrets to my main character!!

Shannon: I didn't say anything.

(Leyla rolls her eyes.)

Leyla: And Carter, you'd better get some rest too. It's going to be a rough story, this next one.

Carter: I just have to go check the newsgroup for the name of that song and then I'll get some rest. They're nice on the newsgroup, right?

Leyla: Sure, why?

Carter: I mean, no one will mind if I ask the title of that song that was playing when I was stabbed, right?

Leyla: (deviously) Oh, I just KNOW they won't mind. Go for it.

Carter: (standing up) All right, I'm going to go. Kerry -- 

Kerry: Carter, just go. 

Leyla: Boy, you two are good at this. You could practically write the story yourselves and save me the trouble. Both of you -- go on. Get some rest.

(Kerry and Carter leave; Shannon makes sure to wink at Carter before he goes)

Leyla: So what do you think?

Shannon: I think there goes two seriously damaged people. They deserve each other.

Leyla: You're right.

Shannon: So, get writing. I want to see a draft in my inbox by the end of the weekend. 

Leyla: Hopefully the story can be done by the middle of next week so I can post it. I have school the first three days of the week so if I don't finish by Monday it will have to wait till Thursday when I'm off.

Shannon: Then stop talking to me -- get started! 

(Leyla puts her Walkman on and presses play, listening and smiling.)

Leyla: This soundtrack tape for these stories is the best, Shann. You did a great job putting it together, and each song is perfect in its own way for Kerry and Carter. You even gave me the ER connection for each song in the liner notes. You're quite a friend.

Shannon: Anything for these two, believe me. And I'm glad you're enjoying it! You can listen to it while you write.

Leyla: I'm going to start with "the stabbing song". They're going to fry him over on the newsgroup.

Shannon: (laughing) I know. You're so mean -- you should have told him to check the FAQ first.

Leyla: Yeah, but what's the fun in that?

Shannon: Talk to you later. (She leaves.)

Leyla: Well, I'd better get started. I love this song.

(Leyla dances around the room as she listens to the stabbing song and erases the board, and then she dances her way out of the conference room, heading for her computer.)

END of The Meeting

Note: I really hope I don't need to tell you, but just to be on the safe side, the "stabbing song" is Battleflag by the Lo-Fidelity Allstars and I did listen to it on repeat on my CD player while writing this tonight.

The soundtrack tape does exist -- my dear editor Shannon made it for me with various songs that she felt fit Carter and Kerry. Some songs are obvious, others are less so. But they are all great, and they all make up a fantastic backdrop for the stories I've written about Kerry and Carter. I can let you know the liner notes; just email me and I will send them to you (song titles and artists, as well as the reason each song was picked).


End file.
